10 August 2005

"...the car has become an article of dress without which we feel uncertain, unclad, and incomplete in the urban compound."

Marshall McLuhan

The Ghostcycles project in Seattle collects data from cyclists who have been involved in accidents. Patterns are established and action is taken. There is a Google map of all the places where cyclists were struck by cars, a form to report accidents and many useful links. In an auto-mobile culture like Australia such projects could aid in a transition to more sustainable means of transport. Some of the stats read like:

" 1 in 5 of the accidents involving another vehicle were hit-and runs"" 74% of accidents resulted in physical injury and 35% resulted in damage to the bicycle 21% resulted in both. Only 13% of the accidents reported no damages."

There are many crosses and flowers lining roads in Sydney now, they seem to get denser and denser along the edge of the road. A mapping of the 'toll' could lead to changes or roads being blocked entirely to vehicles. There is even 'A Self-Help Program for Petro-Junkies'.